Danny Boyle to direct world-closing ceremony

TRAINSPOTTING director Danny Boyle is to helm the closing ceremony to mark the end of the world, with Paul McCartney headlining.

Up to three billion people will spend their last moments watching telly

Olympics opening ceremony mastermind Boyle has been chosen to direct a multi-media spectacular to mark the End of Days in a specially-built Apocalypse Stadium near Norwich.

It will take the audience on a journey from the Earth cooling and forming a crust, then through the highlights of human civilisation before ending with a rousing rendition of The Beatles’ Hey Jude just as the planet explodes.

The End of the World ceremony is scheduled for December 21, which is when Mayan calendars predict Armageddon will occur – a theory scientists agree is strongly supported by economic implosion, Middle Eastern crises and the popularity of the Channel 4 series Embarrassing Bodies.

Boyle said: “It’s the end of the world, a once in a lifetime occasion – this isn’t a time for negativity.

“This is going to be a mega night with the planet’s history encapsulated by Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, dancing animals and Lisa Kelly from Ice Road Truckers.

“To add to the excitement, the world will not actually end until the last chorus of ‘naah-nah-nah nah-nah-nah-naah’. In theory the final calamity could be deferred by hours, maybe days, depending on how Sir Paul’s throat holds up.

“Obviously it’s a intimidating challenge, but at least we’ll all be destroyed before the papers have a chance to slag it off.”

Music critic Tom Booker said: “When I heard the end of the world was coming my heart sank because I knew what it meant – Sir bloody Paul McCliché and his grand piano trundled out for bloody Hey Jude. Why not one of his more obscure tunes like Maybe I’m Amazed or Temporary Secretary?